Friday afternoon's news in under 5 minutes.

February 20, 2015

We’ve rounded up all the latest stories from Australia and around the world – so you don’t have to go searching.

1. Cyclone Marcia continues to wreak havoc along the Queensland coast.

Tropical Cyclone Marcia has been downgraded to a category three as it hits Rockhampton.

#Rockhampton is being battered by #TCMarcia, resident Luke told me he saw his goldfish being blown out of his pond. pic.twitter.com/sx1J7rLogf

— Lucinda Kent (@LucindaKent) February 20, 2015

The cyclone swept through Yeppoon earlier today, damaging property and causing power outages, ABC News reports. The storm continues along the Queensland coast, with flooding in areas.

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Fields and roads flooded, beaches closed on the Gold Coast @abcnews @abcgoldcoast #TCMarcia pic.twitter.com/1vRngXkKIs — Alyse Edwards (@Alyse_Edwards) February 20, 2015

More photos from Great Keppel island residents as #TCMarcia rolls in. Stay safe! @ACurrentAffair9 @9NewsBrisbane pic.twitter.com/O5bM9husu6

— Jenna Hudson (@JennaHudson9) February 20, 2015

North-eastern NSW remains on flood watch, as heavy rains continue to batter the coast. Related content: Click here to read the full story.

2. Oscar Pistorius could be released from prison this year.

Oscar Pistorius could be released from prison after serving only a year of his five-year sentence, The Australian reports. Legal experts suggest Mr Pistorius could be released from prison this year, thanks to his ongoing good behaviour, after which he could serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest. Mr Pistorius was convicted of killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013.

Oscar Pistorius on trial in 2014.

Mr Pistorius has had his prisoner status upgraded after Pretoria Central Prison decided he was not a security risk. According to The Australian, the change allows Pistorius to make physical contact with the people who come to visit him, four times the regular number of phone calls, and extra pocket money. He can also wear jewellery and have a radio in his cell.

Oscar Pistorious with Reeva Steenkamp.

Ms Steenkamp’s family are enraged by this news. “Clearly, the correctional services department has a short memory. If they grant these things they must think he is a model prisoner,” Mike Steenkamp, Reeva’s uncle, said. The Steenkamp family were notably disappointed when the courts found Mr Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide (equivalent to manslaughter), instead of the more serious charge of murder.

3. “Hot little girls” should carry guns to protect themselves from rapists, US politician says.

An American politician has outrageously suggested that “hot little girls” can avoid being raped by carrying guns.

US Republican Michele Fiore said “hot little girls” can avoid being raped by carrying firearms.

Republican Michele Fiore told the New York Times: “If these young, hot little girls on campus have a firearm, I wonder how many men will want to assault them.” She added: “The sexual assaults that are occurring would go down once these sexual predators get a bullet in their head.” Naturally, Twitter went into uproar.

“If these young, hot little girls on campus have a firearm…how many men will want to assault them.” Michele Fiore, this isn’t ‘Kill Bill.” — Michele Mitchell (@michelefilmat11) February 18, 2015

FFS USA, it’s like (some of) you think if only you can get enough damn guns on the continent the place’ll be paradise http://t.co/xdvyCWpQRK

— Lucy Wainwright (@Whoozley) February 20, 2015

Fiore later clarified her statement saying that, while she may not have been “eloquent”, she stood by her comments.

4. Kidsafe: Don’t judge people who forget their children in cars. It can happen to anyone.

Kidsafe Victoria has reminded Australians not to pass judgement on people who leave children inside their cars, claiming that exhaustion can often lead to forgetfulness.

The announcement comes as a 22-month-old child died after being left in the car in Kyneton, yesterday.

According to the ABC, Victorian paramedics had been called to 200 cases of children locked in cars so far this year, and more than 1,100 children were rescued in 2014.

A 22-month-died after being left in a car outside Kyneton daycare centre. Kidsafe reminds us this can happen to anyone.

Kidsafe Victoria chief executive, Erica Edmonds, reminds us the majority of these cases are unintentional.

“Most often it’s around things like [people] being exhausted, a change in routine,” she told the ABC.

“Since baby capsules were designed for safety reasons to face away from the driver the child is no longer visible to the driver, and if they’re asleep and you can’t hear them, that people do forget.

“With a lack of sleep and a whole lot of different other reasons… those things lead to people to simply forget they have baby with them.”

Baby capsules make it easier for people to forget they have their children with them.

The Metropolitan Fire Brigade said it can take just seven minutes for the temperature inside a car to reach 40 degrees Celsius on a hot day, while on a 32-degree day the temperature inside a car can reach 75 degrees.

5. An Australian rugby star to face drug charges.

Queensland Reds rugby player Karmichael Hunt has been charged with supplying cocaine.

Karmichael Hunt has been charged with supplying drugs.

The Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) is alleging Hunt, along with three men and one woman, arranged for the supply of cocaine for personal use or to supply to friends and colleagues between June and December 2014.

Hunt, 28, previously played for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL and in the Gold Coast AFL team.

He is expected to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court on March 5.

6. Two men have stolen a whopping 800 computers from schools.

Police have charged two men for the theft of 800 computers to the value of $500,000 from schools in NSW.

The Apple MacBook computers and iPads were stolen from more than 20 schools in the greater Sydney area, as well as the Southern Highlands and Illawarra regions.

The two men are suspected of stealing 800 computers and tablets.

According to The Australian, the men, both 20, were arrested after police raided a pawn shop in Kings Cross and found an initial 176 computers.

Police believe the duo were part of an organised crime syndicate.

What’s news in your world?

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